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The Medium Rifle is the middleweight of the "Rifle" family. The precursor to the modern Autocannon, the Rifle was based on the main guns used by tanks on pre-spaceflight Terra. The Medium Rifle used heavier rounds and larger propellant loads to fire its shells. The Rifle was phased out of service with most major powers because it lacked stopping power against most battlefield units.[3] Unlike the Light Rifle the Medium Rifle can actually damage a BattleMech, but its weight and ammunition capacity are no match for the standard autocannon. Another drawback is the Medium Rifle's inability to use the special munitions available to autocannon.

There are reports of some Periphery powers introducing units equipped with Rifles, but these reports were unconfirmed until the introduction of the Arbiter.

↑Tactical Operations, p. 337. "All rifles subtract 3 from their damage points when attacking any battlefield unit except conventional infantry, battle armor, 'Mechs with commercial armor, and support vehicles with a BAR less than 8. This can mean that the rifle inflicts no damage."